Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Saturday, 13 April 2013

BBC News

• Passenger traffic flat at airportsPassenger traffic was flat at two of Scotland's busiest airports last month, according to the latest figures.
• VIDEO: HS2 villagers fight for compensationThe government has said its plans to build a high speed rail link between London and the north of England will halve journey times between Birmingham and Manchester and between London and Manchester
• VIDEO: Artist designs air-cleaning bicycleA British artist living in China has designed an adaptation for the bicycle, which produces clean air for its rider to breathe as they cycle.
• Road reopens after crash kills fiveThe road where five people died in a crash between a car and a lorry is reopened as investigations into the accident continue.

The Herald

• Surge in train passengersTRAVELLERS faced with soaring fuel prices and conjested roads are turning to Scotland's railways in ever-increasing numbers.

The Scotsman

• Tearoom revival at Scotland’s train stationsIT’S no longer such a brief encounter. A tearoom renaissance is brewing on Scotland’s railways, with nearly 50 now providing a welcome sight for thirsty passengers.

The Telegraph

• Airbus plans extra-wide seats for fat passengersAeroplanes to have even less wiggle room after manufacturers announced plans to shrink two thirds of seats to make space for overweight travellers.    

Reuters News

• London Heathrow's March traffic up 3.9 percentLONDON (Reuters) - Passenger traffic at London's Heathrow airport rose 3.9 percent in March, boosted by strong growth on European and Chinese routes, Heathrow Ltd said on Friday.

Mail Online

• Britain's longest cycling tunnel opens in Bath after £4million is spent on converting disused railwayThe five mile route, which opened to the public last week, cost £4million to complete and includes the record 1,829 yard Combe Down Tunnel.
• Five people from the same family killed in crash between car and lorryFive members of a Durham family died following a head-on collision with a lorry on the A18 near Laceby Manor Golf Club, Grimsby.

Network Rail

• Could a West Midlands railway image win Landscape Photographer of the Year?Amateur and professional photographers across the West Midlands are being invited to enter their best images of the British landscape and the UK rail network in the annual “Take a view - Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards”.

Birmingham Post

• Punish bus lane infiltrators, urges Lord SnapeWest Midland drivers must be persuaded to leave their cars at home to make vital inroads into the £2 billion plus cost of congestion on the region’s roads, says Lord Snape of Wednesbury.
• 'No plan' to introduce super peak rail fare to tackle overcrowdingPlans to combat terribly overcrowded trains through Birmingham by drastically raising peak time fares look set to be refused by ministers.

Liverpool Echo

• Liverpool Lime Street loop line to close in next phase of £40m Merseyrail refurbishmentLIVERPOOL Lime Street’s underground station will soon be closing for four months as part of the £40m refurbishment of the Merseyrail loop line.
• Six friends cycle the canal for charitySIX Merseyside friends were set to cycle 120 miles along the Leeds to Liverpool canal today for charity.

London Evening Standard

• Road test: Bigger mini makes minimum impactMinis aren’t really mini any more. The latest and seventh MINI body style is called the Paceman, a sloping-roofed and lowered three-door version of the Countryman, available with the full range of MINI engines.
• Bmi boost for HeathrowBritish Airways’ strategy of buying rival bmi and using its slots to fly long-haul to emerging markets is bearing fruit for Heathrow airport: it helped it to see a record 5.9 million passengers in its terminals in March.
• Cabinet minister Philip Hammond calls for second Gatwick runwayPhilip Hammond has become the first Cabinet minister to call publicly for expansion at Gatwick to solve the aviation crisis in the South-East.

Nottingham Evening Post

• Nottingham Post commented Trains from city to London 'face axe' when high-speed line opensDIRECT trains from Nottingham Station to London are set to be halved if the new high-speed rail plans are approved.Details have emerged from the small print of the proposed HS2 high-speed rail network's business plan, which includes a new East Midlands station in Toton.HS2 Ltd predicts that only 16 trains would leave Nottingham Station for the capital each day if the new line opened in 2033, compared to an expected 30 trains a day if the plans were rejected.The reduction is expected because the...

Yorkshire Post

• Accidental death verdict on family man killed by flying motorway debrisA FAMILY man was killed when a piece of motorway debris smashed through his car windscreen and lodged in his face, an inquest heard.

East Anglian Daily Times

• East Anglia: Rail delays slashed as police target metal thievesTHE number of rail delays in East Anglia caused by metal theft has been cut by almost 90% in the last financial year.

Other Regional Press

• Cyclists gear up for big palace bike ride MICHELLE Holdsworth will be using pedal power at one of two major events aiming to raise thousands for a breast cancer charity.
• Bus passengers face price increases of up to 11 per cent SUCCESSIVE annual inflation-busting fare hikes are dealing Oxfordshire bus passengers a “real blow”, it has been claimed.
• Students protest over First Aberdeen bus fare riseSTUDENTS today held a protest against the price of fares on Aberdeen buses.

Bus and Coach.com

• Stagecoach wins from Go-Ahead in LondonIn the latest round of London tenders Stagecoach will take over three routes from Go-Ahead's Metrobus subsidiary, with a peak vehicle requirement of 14.
• Contactless card use milestoneOne million bus journeys in London have now been paid for using a contactless debit, credit or charge card.
• Record battery bus order for OptareThe biggest order for battery-electric buses in Britain has been secured by Optare, which is to supply 20 to Nottingham city council.

Global Rail News

• King's Cross in satisfaction coupKing’s Cross station has seen a record-breaking jump in customer satisfaction in the year since the award-winning western concourse opened to the public, new research shows. Figures from Passenger Focus show King’s Cross station has risen from bottom to joint-second among Network Rail’s managed stations in the satisfaction table, with 94% of passengers satisfied compared [...]

Transport for London

• First new bus for London 'production vehicles' leave the factoryA production line set up to manufacture a fleet of the Mayor's new buses for London has despatched its first completed buses to the capital.

Aviation Industry

• Norway leaders threaten Ryanair boycottThe ex-employee, an Italian, is threatening to sue the airline over allegedly poor working conditions she says fail to meet Norway's standards.

Other News Sources

• Singapore piles on green ship incentivesSINGAPORE-flagged ships that implement green measures can expect even more tax and fee breaks, transport minister Lui Tuck Yew said today.

Other Subscription Services

• NR examines additional high speed rail options Network Rail has set out a new template for the development of long distance rail services over the next 30 years, outlining aspirations for a